Gramophone



Nov. 6, 1923-.

1,690,122 H. J. KUCHENMEISTER GRAMOPHONE Filed July 18, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 L /n vehtor:

Nbv. 6, 1928.

H. J. KUCHENMEISTER V GRAHOPHONE Filed July 18, 1925 2 sheets-sheet 2 HTTOE/VEYS Pi ment v. a 192a UNITED STATES PATENT-j OFFICE.

on arucmnrsm, or arm, cram.

' emornonn.

Application fled July 18, 1985, Serial No. 44,482, and in Germany July 28, 1984.

Y My invention relates to amophones or like machines for operation y two or more needles simultaneously.

The connection of two tone arms or two membranes by intermediate links is not practicable because the'sound boxes, owing to'their distance from each other, must follow in succession the undulations of the record sound ooves. It was. found that one sound box orced the other out of the same spiral lap.

of the sound groove in the record if the connection were not suitable for or adapted to the and is-located between these curves.

Embodiments of the invention allllllsi trated, by way of example, on the accompany in drawing whereon: igure 1 is a plan view of the whole phonograph. I c s V Figure 2 is an elevation showing the unrversal joint of the guide arm.

. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the 3.) rocker. r v

- 4 and 5 are plan and elevatlonal I viewsrespectivelymfa simplified arrange- 'ment of the linkage system.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary pereo spective view of the coupling mechanism be- 7 tween the tone arms and sound boxes. Figure 7 is a section on the line VII-V11 of Figure 8. z

Figure 8 is a plan view, partly broken away .5 and partly in section, of the connection for,

- 11% of thesound boxes. r

1 soun box, and Figure 10 is a side elevation thereof.

Referring to the drawings, the reference a denotes a universal joint for a guide arm (Z, said joint being disposed outside of the area of the record on the turn table of the machine, the bottom of the machine casing for example,

i and permitting the arm freedom of movement in all three dimensions like a ball and linkage system of the guide arm and'the' re 9 is a" front elevation of the othersocket joint. The joint a is preferably located between the pivots of the two tone arms which latter, together'with their sound boxes and needles, are indicated by b and c. The joint a must be located at a point which is equally well suited and of equal advantage for both tone arms.

-When playing a record in the usual way from the periphery towards the centre, the sound boxes will approach each other as the needles traverse the record along tlie'curved paths indicated; conversely-they will move further away from each other if the playing is from the centre of the record towards its periphery as in the case of the Pathephone.

In order to ensure a uniform insertion of the needles into the sound grooves a rocker e is attached to the arm (1 by a slide f and arranged to slide along the arm,.the best position being found in trying out the machine. The slide f has a pin or bolt 7" and carries the rocker to which are pivotally connected, ,at 1

-g g, two links h h whose other ends are piv-' otally connected to the sound boxes of the tone arms I) 0, The connection of the sound box iofthe tone arm b is made by providing the plate 3 of said box with an extension t upon which is slidably mounted a plate '1) having slots 10 and a: therein and also having'a lug g) to which one of the links it is pivotally connected. A clampinglate is superimposed upon the plate 22;

slots into threaded en gement with the ex- 7 then be moved relative to the extension t by reason of the slots to and 'w whereupon the screws may again be tightened to retain said plate '0 in position.

The sound box 2' of the tone arm 0 is provided with a lug q to which the end of the crews e are cara ried by the plate 3 and extend through said other link 7:. is pivotally connected'by a.

lap of therecord sound groove it is only'neoes- V sary to raise the arm (1 and move the same, as permitted by the universal joint it until one of the needles registers with the first spiral lapr Owing to the system of linkage the other needle will then also register with the first spiral lap. It will be apparent that each rocking movement of the arm d is transmitted by the linkage system 6 g h to the tone arms I) and c which are thereby carried or guided in the same direction as the arm.

The selection of the proper location of slide f for the rocker e is dependent on the fact that the curve described by the slide f during a rocking movement of the arm (1 about a must represent the mean value of the two individual curves described by the sound box needles.

In Figures 4 and 5 a simplified inserting mechanism is shown. To each of the sound boxes 2', carried by the tone arms,- an angular bracket is is attached which by means of a pivot or pin Z is linked to a connecting rod or coupling member 71..

Both coupling members are linked together at their free ends, the link pin beingformed e. g. as a handle and are operated in tlie man-.

ner desired by grasping the mechanism by hand at the link m, the path of which, if projected on the record plate, representingthe mean value of the various curves described by the sound needles. o p

By raising the coupling member h on top the connection can be dissolved, whereafter each sound box can be handled separately.

The connection described enables two or more sound boxes to be inserted uniformly in the same spiral lap of the sound groove in the-record. When more than two sound boxes are used the system is correspondingly mcreased or suitably modified. All the sound boxes are then pivotally connected by links to the fixed rocker, which remains unaltered, or to a device having a similar action.

'ed to said rocker and to said sound boxes.

2. In a sound reproducing machine for operation by aplurality of sound boxes having their styli simultaneously engaged in the same record'groove, meansv connecting the sound boxes for simultaneous movement comprising a universally movable guide arm, a rocker adjustable on the guide arm, and links pivotallyeonnected to the said rocker and to the sound boxes.

' 3. In a.sound reproducing machine for operation by a plurality of sound boxes having their styli simultaneously engaged in the same record groove, means connecting the -sound boxes for simultaneous movement comprising -a universally movable guide arm, a slide ad 'ustable along the guide arm, a rocker carried y said slide, means for locking the slide in adjusted position and links connecting the rocker with the sound boxes.

4'. In a sound reproducing machine for operation by a plurality of sound boxes having their styli simultaneously engaged in the same record groove, a plurality of sound boxes movable about separate pivots, brackets attached to said sound boxes, a movable guide arm, a slide adjustable along said arm, a rocker arm connected to said slide, and links pivotally connecting the ends of said rocker arm with said brackets.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to-this specification.

HEINRICH J. KUCHENMEISTER. 

